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Zimbabwe vote violence 'must end' Britain should 'force' Mugabe out
(about 4 hours later)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for an end to violence by a "criminal cabal" in Zimbabwe ahead of Friday's scheduled presidential election. Britain and the international community should take "aggressive action" and force President Mugabe from power in Zimbabwe, says Nick Clegg.
He said opposition to Robert Mugabe's regime must be allowed to "express its dissent" in free and fair elections. The Lib Dem leader was speaking after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's announced that he was pulling out of Friday's presidential run-off.
If that does not happen Zimbabwe would become "more isolated", he warned. Mr Tsvangirai's move hands automatic victory to President Robert Mugabe.
His comments came ahead of the BBC being told that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had decided to pull out of the presidential run-off. "Today's announcement must finally be the catalyst for aggressive action against Zimbabwe," said Mr Clegg.
Mr Tsvangirai's move would hand automatic victory to President Robert Mugabe. Speaking on Sunday Mr Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, said there was no point running when elections would not be free and fair and "the outcome is determined by... Mugabe himself". Britain must now work with the EU and the UN to draw up immediate measures to force President Mugabe out of power Nick Clegg
And he called on the global community to step in to prevent "genocide".
Responding to the announcement, Mr Clegg said: "It is a huge disappointment that Robert Mugabe with violence, terror and murder has succeeded in intimidating the MDC out of an election.
"Britain must now work with the EU and the UN to draw up immediate measures to force President Mugabe out of power.
"We must liaise closely with Mozambique and South Africa to restrict electricity supplies into Zimbabwe, to impose a possible petrol embargo and a temporary halt of foreign currency remittances.
"While these measures will hit ordinary Zimbabweans too, they might, if implemented swiftly, succeed where all else has failed to force Mugabe's regime out of power."
The decision to pull out was taken at a meeting of the leadership of the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare.The decision to pull out was taken at a meeting of the leadership of the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare.
The MDC says at least 70 of its supporters have been killed in the run-up to the poll. President Robert Mugabe says the opposition is behind the violence.The MDC says at least 70 of its supporters have been killed in the run-up to the poll. President Robert Mugabe says the opposition is behind the violence.
In Zimbabwe the opposition had been due to hold a rally after a police ban was overturned. Speaking before the announcement from Mr Tsvangirai Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for an end to violence by a "criminal cabal" in Zimbabwe.
There will be sanctions from the international community unless the violence stops Gordon Brown He said opposition to Robert Mugabe's regime must be allowed to "express its dissent" in free and fair elections.
But supporters of Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF occupied the stadium and roads leading up to it - and reportedly beat up opposition activists.
In a pooled interview, Mr Brown said an end to violence was "essential" and that international observers should be allowed into Zimbabwe.
"I can say very clearly that we know those people who are perpetrating the violence - this is a criminal cabal that is operating, and there will be sanctions from the international community unless the violence stops."
He continued: "The regime must allow the opposition to express its dissent, the elections must be held freely and fairly, or Zimbabwe will be further isolated from the international community.
"And I believe that the growing anger in Africa about the behaviour of the Mugabe regime is the best signal we have that things will change.
"They've got to change, but they will change as a result of African opinion."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, speaking ahead of the news that the election may not happen, called for South Africa to threaten to restrict or cut off electricity supplies to Zimbabwe.
He told the BBC's Politics Show he also wanted to see Britain blocking the transfer of remittance money to Zimbabwe from expatriates resident in the UK.
Mr Clegg, whose party is the third largest in the UK, also said that while there was a "moral case" to intervene militarily in Zimbabwe it was "inconceivable" that it would happen.